The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-05-05


the tinio, Do not think anything too insig-
niticant to do well, DO not say; ats only
Just once" From tho most important trans
action in commerce down TO the particular
style in which you tie a string around 9
bundle, obey orders. Do not get easily dis
gusted. While others in the store may
lounge, or fret, or complain, you 60 with
ready hands, and cheerful face and contented
spirit to your work. When the bugle sounds,
the good soldier asks no questions, but Shout
ders his knapsack, fills his canteen and listens
for the command of "March!n Do not get
the idea that your interests and those OF your
employer are antagonistic. His success will
be your honor, His embarrassment will be
your dismay. Expose none OF the frailties
OF the firm Tell no store secrets Do not
bah Rebuff those persons who como to
find out from clerks what ought never be
known outside the store. Do not be among
those young men who take on a mysterious
air when something is said against the firm
tnat employs them, MS mucn as to say: IL
could tell you some things if would but |
won't" Do not DO among those who imagine
they can build themselves up by pulling
somebody else down. Be not ashamed to be
a subaltern.
Again l counsel clerks in this house to
search out what are the unlawful and dis
honest demands of an establishment, and
resist them. In the six thousand years that
have passed, there has never been an occasion
when it was ones duty to sin against God.
1t is never right to do wrong. If the head
men of the firm expect of you dishonesty
dsssappoint them; 60 you say, Il sho,Hd
lose my place. then.p Better lose your place
than lose your. soul. But You will
not lose your place Christian heroiSn
is always honored You 60 to the
head man Of your store, and say: "Sir, !
want to serve you: ] want to oblige you: it
Is from no lack OF industry on my part, but
this thing seems to me to be wrong, and it is
a sin Gainst my conscience, it is sin against
God, and | beg you, sir, to excuse me- He
may flush up and swear, but he will cool
down, and he will have more admiration
for you than for those who sub
init to his evil dictation; and
while they sink, You will rise. Do
not, because of seeming temporary advan.
tage, give up your character young man.
Under God, that is the only thing you have
to build on. Give up that, you give Up
everything. That employer asks a young
man to hurt himself for time and for eternity,
who expects him to make a wrong entry, or
change an invoice, or say goods cost so much
when they cost less; or impose upon the
verdancy Of a customer, or misrepresent
style of fabric. How dare he demand Of you
anything so nsolent!
There is one style OF temptation that comes
on great many of our clerks, and that is
upon those who are engaged in what is called
drumming" Now, that occupation is just
as honorable as any other, if it be con-
Quoted in accord with ones conscience. In
this day, when there are so many rivalrieS in
business, all our commercial establishments
ought so have men abroad who are seeking
outopportunities of merchandise There can be
no objection to that But there are professed
Christian merchants in the week-night
x,,b< k,y rl,c in
New York, conducting merchants of Cincin-
natl, and Chicago and st. Louis, through
the debaucheries of the great town, in order
to secure their custom for the store There
are in stores in New York and Brooklyn,
drawers in which there are kept moneys
which the clerks are to go to and get what
aver they want to conduct these
| city. The head men of the firm wink at it,
and in some places actually demand it-pro-
| fessed Christian merchants. One would think
that the prayer would freeze on their lips,
and they would fall back dead at the sounu of
their own song What chance is there for
young men when commercial establish
mentS expect such things of them9 Among
the most damnable. Young man, how
will that firm treat you when you
are utterly despoied, and dragged out with
sin, going through the haunts of iniquty for
the purpose of getting customers for their
store? How will they treat you? 0, they
will give you pension! They will build you
fine house, They will get you horse and
carriagel Will theya No Some day you
will 20 to the store, shabby, intoxicated, worn
out in their service and they will say: John
YOU are a disgrace to our house. Now
Just look at yourself Accountant, how
much do we eve this manr' "A dollar anc
thirty cents" "Well, now, here-here it is
dollar and thirty cents. Go off. Dom
hang around the store Magnanimity superb
They stole the lustre from his eye, and th'
color from his cheek, and the honor from hi
soul and then they kicked him out If sucl
professed Christian merchants do not e.
straight to hell, don't know any use of hav
ing such place. Oh, young men, disappon
the expectation of that firm disappoint thos
customers, if these things are expected OF you
You may sell an extra case of goods; you ma.
sell an extra roll of silk; but the trouble is
you may have to throw your soul to boot il
the bargain
Again: l counsel all clerks to conquer tn
trials Of their particular position. One grea
trial for clerks is the in consideration of custom
ers There are peopl, who are entirely pc
rial aud contemplate when they com
into store to buy anything. Their
are thousands of men and women who &
from store to store and price things, withor
any idea of purchase They are not satisfie
until every roll of goods is brought down an
they have pointed out all the real or imagiI
ary defects They try on all kinds of ki
gloves. and stretch them out of shape, an
they put on all styles of cloak and walk to I'll
mirror to see how it would look, and the
they sail out of the store, saying: II wi
not take it to-day;' which mean
81 don't want it at all,n leaving the cler
amid q wreck Of ribbons, and laces, an
cloths, to smooth out five hundred dollar
worth of goods-not one cent of which di
that man or woman buy or expect to bu.
Now call that dishonesty on the part I
the customer: If a boy runs into store Ia1 an :.
takes roll of cloth off the counter and sneak
out into the street, you all JOIN IN Tn
cry pell-mell: 'sStop thief" When
see you go into store, not expecting to bu
ANYTHING, but to price things; stealing tn
time of the clerk, and stealing the time of h
employer say, too: stop theft! If wer
asked which class of persons most need th
. grace of God amid their annoyances, woul
say: ..Dry goods clerks" All the indignatio
of customers about the high prices comes o
the clerk. For instance. A great war come;
The manufactures are closed The -peopl
go off to battle. The price of goods rur
UP. A customer comes into store. Gooc
: have gone up. How much is that worth
| why, VIM 40
, that it has got to be dollar! Does the II
dignation go out to the manufacturers ON Il
, banks of the Merrimac, because they ha'
, closed upl No Does the indignation go OF
, toward the employer, who is out at his coul
! try seat! No. 1t comes on the clerk. 4
! got ND the warl He levied the taxes! L
! put up the rentsi OF course the clerkl
Then a great trial comes to clerks in Il
, fact that they see the parsimonious side of h
, man nature You talk about lies behind Il
, counter-there are just as many lies befo
the counter. Augustine speaks of a man wi
advertised that he would, on &c
tain occasion, tell the people VIII
was in their hearts. A great crowd g
: sembled, and he stepped to the front al
said: II will tell you what is in your heart
To buy cheap and sell dearm o, people
/, Brooklynl lay not aside your urbanity VIII
: YOU come into store Treat the clerks Ii
' gentlemen and ladies-.proving yours
4 to be a gentleman or lady. Il
i member, that if the prices are high al
your purse is lean, that it is no fault OF I
i clerks. And if you have son or a dauSht
: amid those perplexities of commercial III
and such one comes home all worn out,
lenient, and know that the martyr at
a stake no more certainly needs the grace
/ God than our young people amid the sevs
r times heated exasperations of clerks life.
Then there are all the trials which come
be Ha rr,aa nf sd Iarc